Artificial bait



Jan. 7, 1930. M. B. ROBERITS 1,742,786

ARTIFICIAL BAIT Filed Aug. 2. 1928 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILAN B. ROBERTS, F FLINT, MICHIGAN ARTIFICIAL BAIT This invention is anovel improvement in artificial baits and the principal object of the invention is to provide an artificial bait containing certain novel features hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention'with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one practical embodiment thereof to enable others to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view-of the complete 1 artificial bait.

, Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Fig.3 is a side view thereof. Fig. 4 is a section on the longitudinal axis 1 thereof. I

Fig. '5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 66 Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a view showing one of the split rings partially attached to the body of the bait.

As shown, my novel bait preferably comprises a sheet metal plate having a substantially flathead portion 1 provided with a perforation 1 for attachment of the usual ring 1* of the fishing linewherebythe bait may be readily drawn through the water. The tail portion 2 of the body is bent on a slight arc,

r as plainly shown in Fig. 4, the rear end of tail portion 2 being rounded in plan as at 2 preferably to semi-circular form.

The portions 1 and 2 preferably form an elongated body the sides of which converge slightly towards the head end as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The tail portion-2 while arcuate in longitudinal section is flat in transverse section as clearly shown in Fig. 6, giving the the tail portion 2 a thumb-nail construction.

Extending integrally from the side edges of the fiat head portion 1 are opposed bent wing portions 3 and 4, which wings are bent or fianed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and adaptec to direct the water passing along the underside of the bait body against the arcushown.

Application filed August 2, 1928. Serial No. 297,058.

ate tail portion2, said wings 3 and 4 extening the full length of head portion 1, and

the ends of the wings being rounded as At the approximate center of the bod of the bait is a rectangular slot 5 through w ich extends a pork rind strip 6 the forward end of whichis secured to the ring 1 of the fishing line and extends rearwardly along the underside of the body between the bosom of the bent wings 3 and 4 then upwardly through slot 5, and then continues rearwardly along the axis of the bait on the upper side metal between the perforations is not thus swaged or bent I have found it practically impossibleto. attach the split rings to the body without injury to the rings 7, unless the holes 7 are made so large in diameter and so near together as to be useless for relatively fixing the rings in the body.

" Moreover the swaged portions 7 b bear nor- .mally against the inner. periphery of the rings 7 as shown in Fig. 4 tending to maintain the rings disposed diametrically of the body. To the split ring 7 on the outer side of wing 3 is attached a ganghook 8.

Similarly a ring 7 is secured into the body of the wing 4 adjacent its outer end and carriesa ganghook 8. In the body of the bait, on theaxis thereof, immediately in rear of the slot 5 is a ring 7 similarly secured as the rings 7 of the Wings .3 and 4; and at the rear end of tail portion 2 "transversely to theaxis of the bait is also a ring 7 secured similarly to the rings 7 of wings 3 and 4. Extending through the ring 7 at the rear end of the bait is a bifurcated hook 9 having its inner end looped through thering ad acent slot 5,,the rear or outer ion highly polished or otherwise finishedsurf'aces of the bait body are exposed to the daylight gor sunlight in such a manner as to direct the resultantlight rays back, down, and sidewaysam-ong the usual weeds onlthe river or lake bed, which weeds are the usual hiding place .for v,rgame fish.

Q'Ihebent'wings 3 and 4 -and;ta-il portion 2 impart to the bait a-sufficiently strong action in the water "so that the'bait will readily carry'the three-sets-of hooks as efficiently as :a woodenzbaihaand insuch manner'that the hooks willifunctionfproperly, a result not PIOS- sibleoto "accomplish with the usual spoon or reflecting-blade type of bait, and I attribute this result primarily to-the bent wing construction. As the bait is substantially .flat and-the three sets :ofgang hooks all disposed substantially together,thebait is practically :onee-hundred per 'centrefiicie'nt.

The semi-rigid .m'ountin'g ofthe i'tai'l hook R9 is an improvement in hooking efficiency since a fish cannotiknock the tail hook 9xout of the way, and thelh'ooki points arel always presented ineffective positions.

In my baitthe hooks 8'clonottangiewhen in use and the tail'hook 9Ycan be used onztop or it can-be reversed and slung under the/bait with the same split ring equipment; This can be accomplished by using an ordinary 3ack-kn1fe or s mllar tool with ease andrat -'.will. 'Ihe advantage-in so doing hes in the fact that reversing the position of the itail hook alters the degreeof liveliness and the depth at which the bait works'to suit:the water conditions prevailing at the time the ibait isfbeing used. v easily replaceable in case of breakage.

In States where the use-of more than one hook point is forbiddenthe-gang hooks 8 maybe replaced by single-hooks, and the bait a will be effective with such singleh'ooks though .notto the same degree of hooking efficiency v possible with-gang hooks.

My claim to originality-in' mounting the hooks 8 and 9 doesnotlieinthemere use of the split rings 7 for the useof split rings is broadly old. 'My claim centers on'the manner employed in attaching the split-rings to thebaitbody. In the usual baits'using-split rings'the rings have. always been mounted through a single perforation located close to Allhooks 8 and Qarethe edge of the bait, which method of mounting is very undesirable because the hooks are permitted to swing at will in any direction which the various forces encountered in fishing may impel. The hooks thus attached will tangle in a bunch rendering the hook points inefiective particularly inthe method of fishing known as casting. l ,Thehooks will moreover fold back and lie on the underside of the bait quite out of reach of an approaching "fish, and the hooks will flop and become tangled with the fishing line and it is even possible for a fish to knock the hooks completely out of the way with the force of his strike and thus miss the bait altogether.

,In'my bait however, thespl-it-rings are not merely'passed through one-single perforation close to the edge of thebait. My splitrings areinsetthrough the body by means of two round holes and a bulged depression-inthe metal of zthe bait .body the whole being semi slot-like, in appearance. By so attaching the'rin-gs'the swinging and flopping of the hooks 8 is confined to very narrow,

definite, and restricted limits, thereby :pre-L venting in largemeasure the hooks .tangling with each other, the hooks ,tangling with-the line, and the hooks folding back and under the baitout ofreach of thefish; Thus my books 8 are always exposed in an eif-ective manner. 7 V W 4 The hooking efficiency ,of -.my baitis "fur- 'ther increased .by the employment of ganghooks, and it is possible to hook a fish whether he gets the -bai-.t, inxhis mouth or not, as in practice the fish have often beenihookedin .thegbodymatherthanzin-theimouth. If a fish in lunging at the bait comes intoxthe range of thebaits twisttheaoti'on of the bait is violent: enough to mechanically and automatically throw the hooks into the body of the fish. ZIn thi's respect the bait is particularly eifective-aga'inst black bass and the larger pike because at: certain times during ,the year .tliesefish are inclined to fight a baitinstead "of biting it. '.At :such-timesithe'y attempt to Iknockbaits' out-10f the way-bymeans of a ferocious body-bunt or a vicious-tail slap.

IVith my'bait, the rpork-rinclfi gives contrast against the bodycolor 50f the bait, and

also makes the bait' appear larger in the water than it reallyfisginrorder to induce the fi's'h to go 'forzthebait with mouthwide open insteado'f withijus't 'albunt strike; and further pork rind 6 helps the bait flop its tail. In my bait'the porkrin'dfi is attachedto the underside of the baitythe same being introdu ced through slot 5in thebaitibody from under the bait-and allowed to dangle at will along the *rear upper end without being im-- paled on the hooksr9.

IVithout the use=of spinners special attachments,-accouterments, I, or impediments of anyi kind such as commonly used, ;I have -su'cceeded'in overcoming diflicultiesin making a sheet metal bait function properly in the water when the bait is loaded down withpork-rind or similar material or even when small blades of grass or sea weed acc1dental ly become attached thereto; and I have succeeded in making the bait itself carry the pork rind without losing any of its operating efiiciency, the pork rind acting in the capacity of a ballast thereby giving my bait an entail portion; symmetrically disposed flanged" wings at the sides of the fiat head portion adapted to direct the water against the arcuate tail portion; hooks secured to said wings; and a bifurcated hook disposed axially of the arcuate tail portion.

2. In a bait as set forth in claim 1, a slot in said body adjacent the center thereof; and a pork rind passed through said slot and extending forwardly on the underside of the bait, and extending rearwardly beyond the bait on the upper side thereof.

3. In a bait as set forth in claim 1, said hooks being secured to the bait by split rings passing through spaced perforations in the body, the metal between said perforations being bulged arcuately out of the plane of the body to suit the curvature of said rings.

4. An artificial bait comprising a sheet metal body having a fiat head portion and an arcuate tail portion; the side edges of the body converging slightly towards the front end, and therear end of the bait being rounded in plan; symmetricallydisposedflangedwings at the sides of the fiat head portion adapted to direct the water against the arcuate tail por tion; hooks secured to the wings, and a bifurcated hook disposed axially of the arcuate tail portion.

5. In an artificial bait as set forth in claim 4, a slot in said body adjacent-the center thereof; and a pork rind passed through said slot and extending forwardly on the underside of the bait and extending rearwardly beyond the bait on the upper side thereof.

6. In an artificial bait as set forth in claim 4, said hooks being secured to the bait by split rings passing through spaced perforations in the body, the metal between said perforations being bulged arcuately out of the plane of the body to suit the curvature of said rings.

7. An artificial bait comprising a sheet metal body having a fiat head portion and an arcuate tail portion; the side edges of the body converging slightly towards the front end, and the rear end of the bait being rounded in plan; symmetrically disposed rings at the sides of the fiat head portion making acute angles with the plane of the head por- 1 side of the body and extending rearwardly freely beyond the tail portion of the body on the upper side thereof.

9. In an artificial bait as set forth in claim 7, each of said hooks being secured to the bait by a split ring passing through spaced perforations in the body, the metal between said perforations being bulged arcuately out of the plane of the "body to suit the curvature of said ring.

10. An artificial bait, comprising a sheet metal body having a flat head and an arcuate tail portion; a bifurcated hook disposed axially of the tail portion; a slot in the body adjacent the center thereof, and a pork rind passing through said slot and extending forwardly along the underside of the bait and extending rearwardly beyond the end of the 'bait on the upper side thereof.

11. In an artificial bait as set forth in claim tions in the body, the metal between said perforations being bulged arcuately out of the plane of the body to suit the curvature of said ring.

12. In an artificial bait as setforth in claim 10, flanged wings at the sides of the flat head portion adapted to direct the water passing along the under side of the bait against the arcuate tail portion.

13. An artificial bait, comprising a sheet metal body having a flat head and an arcuate tail portion; a relatively fixed hook disposed axially of the tail portion; a slot in the body adjacent the center thereof, and a pork rind passing through said slot and extending forwardly along the under side of the bait and extending rearwardly beyond the end of the bait on the upper side thereof.

14. In an artificial bait as set forth in claim 13, flanged wings at the sides of the fiat head portion adapted to pinch the water passing along the under side of the bait and to direct same against the arcuate tail portion; and hooks secured to the said wings.

15, In an artificial bait as set forth in claim 13, flanged wings at the sides of the fiat head portion adapted to pinch the water passing along the under side of the bait and to direct same against the arcuate tail portion; and hooks secured to the said wings, each of said hooks being secured to the bait by split rings' passing through spaced perforations in the body, the metal between said perforations beingfbulged arcuately out of the plane of the body to suit the curvature of said rings.

16. In an artificial bait, a sheet metal body and hooks secured to said body by split rings passing through spaced perforations in the body, the metal between said perforations being bulged arcuately out of the plane of the body to suit the curvature of said rings.

17. An artificial bait comprising a sheet metal body having a flat head portion and an arcuate tail portion, the side edges of the bait converging slightly towards the front end, symmetrically disposed flanged Wings at the sides of the flat head portion adapted to direct the water against the tail portion; and hooks secured to the Wings.

18. In an artificial bait as set forth in claim 17, a slot in said body adjacent the center thereof; and a pork rind extending through said slot and secured to the front end of the bait at the underside, said rind extending rearwardly of the slot freely beyond the tail portion of the bait on the upper side thereof.

19. In an artificial bait as set forth in claim 17, said hooks being secured to the bait by split rings passing through spaced perforations in'the Wings the metal between said perforations being bulged arcuately out of the planes of the Wings'to suit the curvature of said rings.

20. In an artificial bait having a sheet metal body, a slot in said body adjacent the center thereof; and a pork rind extending through said slot and secured to the front end of the body at the under side, said rind extending rearwardly freely beyond the tail portion of the bait on the upper side thereof; and hooks carried by said body.

MILAN B. ROBERTS. 

